1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tooth cleaner, and more particularly to a disposable prophy angle for an electric tooth polisher. The disposable prophy angle has a mount, a disposable surface-polishing member and a disposable crevice-cleaning member. The members are detachably mounted to the mount simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric tooth polishers are generally tools used by dentists to clean teeth.
With reference to FIG. 6, a conventional electric tooth polisher has a controller (70), a handle (80) and a disposable prophy angle.
The controller (70) is connected to a power source and has a display and a switch.
The handle (80) is connected to the controller (70) through a cable and has a motor.
With further reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the disposable prophy angle is connected to the handle (80) and has a hollow casing (90), a driven shaft (91), a mount (92), a disposable surface-polishing member (93) and a disposable crevice-cleaning member (94). The driven shaft (91) is mounted rotatably in the casing (90), rotates in response to the motor and has a distal end extending out of the casing (90). The mount (92) is mounted to the distal end of the driven shaft (91). The surface-polishing member (93) is mounted detachably on the mount (92) and rotates to polish the surface of teeth when the tooth polisher is used. The crevice-cleaning member (94) is conical, may replace the surface-polishing member (93) on the mount (92) and rotates to clean the crevices between adjacent teeth.
However, only one of the attachments, the surface-polishing member (93) or the crevice-cleaning member (94), is used on the prophy angle at any one time. To complete the cleaning process, the polishing and then the crevice cleaning, a dentist must replace one of the members (93, 94) with the other during the treatment. The need to change the members (93, 94) is time wasting.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a disposable prophy angle for an electric tooth polisher to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.